For example, in a continuous riveter, blind rivets are loaded in a rivet holder belt, which is set in the continuous riveter to rivet an object with the blind rivets for caulking. Usually, a user purchases a rivet holder belt loaded with blind rivets and uses the belt. The rivet holder belt is for one-time use only and is discarded after the belt is emptied of rivets.
Since disposal after one-time use is not economical, the applicant of the present invention has provided a device which is capable of loading rivets and the like continuously in a rivet holder belt. This device is disclosed in JP 3,364,812 B and JP 3,435,546 B.
This conventional device for loading continuously a rivet and the like in a rivet holder belt (hereinafter abbreviated as conventional device) is equipped with: a hopper for rivets and the like; a rivet wheel; a feed path extending continuously from the hopper to guide the rivets and the like in the hopper to a delivery position of the rivet wheel; a roller or an aligning feeder for dropping the rivets and the like onto the feed path; a member for regulating the rivets and the like; a member for pushing the rivets and the like in; and driving means for the rivet wheel and the roller or the aligning feeder.
This conventional device which is capable of automatically loading rivets and the like in a rivet holder belt is preferable because the device makes it possible for a user to obtain a rivet holder belt loaded with rivets and the like with ease and to recycle a used rivet holder belt.
However, the above conventional device has the following problems to be solved:
(1) The rivet wheel and the rivet holder belt have to be aligned with each other so that a rivet engaging groove of the rivet wheel can meet a holding notch of the rivet holder belt.
(2) The conventional device uses one handle as both driving means for both the roller or the aligning feeder and driving means for the rivet wheel. Therefore, manual adjustment is necessary when the number of rotation of the handle does not match the number of rivets and the like dropped onto the feed path by the roller or the aligning feeder and thus an excess or deficiency is caused.
(3) The pushing member for rivets and the like in the conventional device is of fixed type and therefore has only a small allowance for the axis diameter of rivets and the like. When rivets and the like have different axis diameters, the pushing member cannot handle such rivets and has to be replaced.
(4) The rivet holder belt of the conventional device is transported by friction upon contact with the trunk (shaft) of the rivet wheel. If the trunk of the rivet wheel slips on the rivet holder belt, transportation of the rivet holder belt and rotation of the rivet wheel may fall out of sync with each other and the contact pressure between the trunk of the rivet wheel and the rivet holder belt increases the load on the rivet wheel to slow the rotation of the rivet wheel.
An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized, easy-to-handle device for loading a rivet and the like in a rivet holder belt which solves those problems in the prior art and which can load continuously a large number of rivets and the like in the rivet holder belt.